Cold Soaking Food – A stove-less method of Backpacking

Cooking meals on trail is some people’s favorite part of every day. Hiker hunger has kicked in and all you can think about is that next hot meal you’re going to cook. For others however, the thought of cooking on trail gives them nothing more than a headache; assembling the stove, waiting on water to boil, monitoring fuel canister levels, scrubbing the burnt sauces and food off the pot, other clean up, etc. This may be a healthy ritual to some, but a burden to others. Right now you may be thinking, “Kyle, I hate using a stove and cooking on trail, but the cheapest foods with the most calories require boiling water to prepare, right?” Wrong!

For me, I tend to have a love-hate relationship with cooking on trail. Sometimes I crave the taste of hot foods, no matter the extra weight or cost in gear, time, and effort. Other times I could care less about hot food or any of the foods I’d normally cook. The good news is, most of the foods we’ve been under the illusion of being “cook only,” can actually be prepared just as easily with cold water and a little extra time. This method is called “Cold Soaking.”

A great many of the foods you’d normally re-hydrate or cook with boiling water can be brought back to tender life with plain old cold water. The process is even simpler than cooking, as all it requires is a sealed container to soak the food in, as well as a little extra time. As far as the extra time goes, we’re talking maybe 20 to 30 minutes; however this doesn’t mean you have to wait longer to eat. The simple method around this longer prep time is no more difficult than adding the water to your food about half an hour before you plan to stop for the day, or whenever you plan to have your next meal. This way everything is ready to eat the moment you set your pack down, or the moment you finish setting up camp. Easy as that.

When it comes to the types of foods cold soaking works best on, they include, but are not limited to…

If you click on the images below the descriptions they will take you to Amazon where you can buy a bulk option of said food item. This can come in great handy if you were to portion them out in bags yourself (pre-hike) and have them mail dropped periodically while on trail. Most of these foods (not all) can easily be found in many towns, but not perhaps in the larger portions you might find at Sam’s Club, Costco, or online.

– Couscous: It hydrates in less than 20 minutes, but I like to add a pouch tuna to mine for a little extra protein and consistency.

– Ramen: After it hydrates, drain any extra water, add mayonnaise and voila! You have cold pasta salad.

– Instant Mash Potatoes: They hydrate almost instantly, so there’s still almost no prep time.

– Oatmeal: A cool trick for breakfast is to mix a packet/cup of oatmeal into a bottle of water along with a packet or two of “Breakfast Essentials” powder. You can drink it all down before the oatmeal even hydrates and it tastes fine. Some people will even add packets of coffee to it too. It’s a helluva way to start the morning, trust me!

– Grits: I don’t find eating cold grits pleasurable at all, but it is an option and they do hydrate quickly. I would add some bacon bits to them at the very least.

Honestly you can use whatever container you want for your cold soaking, but the goal is go as light as possible. You can even use a Ziploc bag if you want, however eating runnier foods out of them can be a burden and clean up is tough (you end up burning through a lot of bags). Below are three of the most popular containers you can find pretty much anywhere, but don’t let these suggestions limit you.

Ziploc Twist n’ Loc Container (whichever size)

Talenti Ice Cream Container (Not available online, but in almost any grocery store. You have to eat the ice cream first :-))

Peanut Butter Jar (Whichever size)

In conclusion…

So there you have it, that’s cold soaking in a nutshell. In fact, if you found a big enough nutshell, you could even cold soak in that. Of course this is all a matter of personal preference, as it’s not for everyone. For you hardcore coffee drinkers out there, you’ll probably never be caught without a stove; therefore the ability to cook sort of comes with the territory. This method is more for the backpacker looking to shave some weight off their pack, some time off their active meal prep, or both. Now take this knowledge and go out into the world!

If you enjoyed this article or any other content on this website; you can help support it by shopping through Amazon Affiliate Links like the one provided below, or any link on this website that takes you to Amazon (NO fees or Sign Up). All you have to do is click on the link and shop normally!

I don’t know if it’s a southern thing or a me thing however I like lots of food unheated so not an issue for me. My husband thinks I’m crazy but I could go on and on about what most ppl like hot or cold and I’m just the opposite. I also like convenience and less prep so benefits are very applicable.